(Image source from: moneycontrol.com)

Five years ago on June 2, a historic declaration was made. After years of heroic struggles, a declaration, which stated that Telangana is set to function as an independent 29th state of India.

The announcement came as a triumph of the scores of heroes who devoted their blood and sweat in their grim fight to see their mission get accomplished. Nevertheless, their hard-work of decades certainly paid off.

And June 2 being Telangana Foundation Day, it is only a good idea to know a bit more about the state.

The Land of ‘Telugus’

Telangana, at one time a part of the princely state of Hyderabad, loosely translates to “land of Telugus”. The name “Telangana” was used to distinguish the parts of Hyderabad state where people communicated in Telugu, from the rest.

It Took Abolition of Nizam Kingdom for Hyderabad to Function as a Part of India

The Nizam wanted to keep Hyderabad as an independent state. However, after an operation conducted by the Indian Army, Hyderabad became a part of the Union of India in the year 1948.

The Merger with Andhra

In 1956, Hyderabad broke down and collaborated with Andhra to form what we know today as Andhra Pradesh. And more or less at the same time, the demands for Telangana as a separate state were initiated.

Has the Ganges of Her Own

Godavari river that passes through Telangana is considered sacred and often cited as the Ganges of the south.

Karimnagar - the Hotbed of the Movement

During the first phase of the movement in 1969, Karimnagar district came forth as the centre stage for the intensification of agitations. During the campaigning for the 2004 elections, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had also proclaimed that she would respect the sentiments of the Telangana people in Karimnagar town by addressing a public meeting.

Osmania University Served as the Focal Point for the Telangana Movement

                      (Image source from: Indiatimes.com)

The celebrated Osmania University of Hyderabad, played a pivotal role in the Telangana movement, from 1956 onward.

The Rise of the Revolution

Allegedly people from Telangana were treated below the belt by the governments that ruled Andhra. It is also said that they were not given sufficient employment opportunities and that their region severely lacked in business development and infrastructure. It was also argued that when it came to grabbing employment opportunities in government offices, people from Rayalaseema were given preference over people belonging to the Telangana region.

In addition, Telangana is as well known to have endured cultural ill-treatment. The Telugu spoken in the region is believed to be the less refined version and seemingly, pertaining to this, the characters of most unwelcomed persons or villains in Telugu films were modeled based on people from Telangana region. A fact that apparently bothered Telangana people quite a lot.

                      (Image source from: Indiatimes.com)

Suicides for Telangana

                      (Image source from: The Hindu)

More than 700 people have committed suicide for Telangana since December 2009 when Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram announced the creation of the separate state and then got back on on the promise.

According to the Telangana Development Forum, Andhra Pradesh has witnessed more than 613 suicides by persons wanting the creation of a separate state.

Telangana, Finally Declared as 29th State!

Following several revolutions, movements, negotiations, and debates, Telangana was finally declared as the 29th independent state of India on 2nd June 2014.

A Huge State!

One of the most surprising facts about the state definitely has to be its mammoth size. Spread across a total area of 1,14,840 square kilometers, Telangana is vast enough to be considered as the 33rd largest country in the world.

India’s Former PM Was from Telangana

The former Prime Minister of India, P.V. Narasimha Rao hailed from Telangana region.

Meet the First and Current CM of the New State

K Chandrashekhar Rao, whose struggles in the favor of the Telangana formation are well documented, is currently serving as the first CM of Telangana. Rao speaks fluent Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, and English, and is the first Hindi speaking CM in south India!

By Sowmya Sangam